God knows, there are countless stories of people being enslaved by generals, and he has no intention of competing with these brainless fans!
The others, too, initially showed delight, then paused in surprise. Tianxuan's expression was the most straightforward; she turned to look at Qin Muge with tears welling up in her eyes. "General, you always do things unpredictably; we're all exhausted."
For the next while, they were surrounded by piles of documents. Having spent most of their time on the front lines of national defense, they had never encountered such a massive amount of documents from all over the country, piled up on the table and obscuring the person. Those who had just returned were so shocked that they were speechless.
Qin Muge took in their expressions one by one, and smiled to himself: They're still too young.
Qin Muge shamelessly took over the long sofa where they had been sitting and comfortably browsed various messages on the smart device's screen.
Then, as soon as her mind had a moment of peace, she thought of a guy who was in military academy. Intrigued, she easily connected to his channel, but after thinking for a long time, she still didn't know what to type.
On the contrary, Chaoge, reminded by Little Red Riding Hood, realized that a certain general had finally remembered that he existed. He immediately opened his chat page and waited for the general who had connected to his signal to speak.
After waiting for a long time, nothing happened.
Could it be that I accidentally pressed the wrong button and contacted the wrong person? Chaoge wondered.
On second thought, wait a minute, these days smart devices aren't like those old face-mounted phones, how could they connect to the wrong signal?
Never mind, if the mountain won't come to me, I'll go to the mountain. Chaoge thought for a moment and started a conversation, "General, are you coming back?"
Upon seeing this message, Qin Muge's lips curved into a smile, and he replied, "What, you missed me?"
Chaoge thought to herself, "Dream on! I don't miss you at all." Knowing exactly what she'd say to annoy her, Chaoge gave a wicked, malicious smile and denied it without hesitation: "No, it's such a waste to leave your bed empty. It's perfect for someone who needs it. And by the way, I might be kidnapped soon, are you scared?"
Qin Muge: "...Heh." It's only been a few days, and you've gotten quite bold.
Thinking of the court ball on Saturday, a deep, unfathomable smile appeared in her blood-red eyes.
"Yan Chaoge, if you dare to give my seat to someone else, you won't have a bed to sleep in." After typing this line, Qin Muge's mood improved by another five percentage points.
Oh my, this threat is terrifying!
Completely unaware of the court ball on Saturday, Chaoge wrinkled her nose, adding another bad mark to General Qin's impression of her: always threatening people, and not even realizing her mistake of leaving without notice. Bad review, I want a refund.
Thinking that my dormitory location at Yuandu Military Academy wasn't given to me by you, Chaoge felt completely unthreatened.
☆ Chapter 22: The Twenty-Second Evaluation of General Qin
Friday marked the end of military training at Yuandu Military Academy, so the weekend was practically a long holiday for the first-year students. All the kids, exhausted from the training, eagerly awaited the arrival of the short break. News of a royal ball spread like wildfire throughout the academy. Since almost all the students at Yuandu Military Academy had military backgrounds, even though only families with good connections could receive invitations, it didn't dampen everyone's excitement for the event.
It's just so novel! Since the coup that happened to the royal family many years ago, leaving only General Qin as the last royal heir, the royal family has forcefully taken over the military, combining the original military and royal power of the Crystalless Empire to create the empire we know today.
Because it was so widely known, the fact that General Qin held her first court ball since her accession to the throne as a member of the royal family was a novelty, which made the ball, which was originally only known to the upper echelons of the military and society, a national spectacle.
Furthermore, because the Crystalless Empire re-hosted the intergalactic conference in the Red Cloud Galaxy, many countries that were not originally interested in the court of the Celestial Star flocked to the planet early, hoping to glean any information about the future intergalactic conference or discover some unknown matters from this court ball. In short, what was originally a simple court ball had almost become a matter of global attention in a short period of time.
If there is a type of person who is completely unaware even when the person being gossiped about is the subject of the rumors, then Chaoge undoubtedly occupies a unique place in this category.
Everyone in the world thought she knew about the court ball, but she really didn't.
Luo Qinghe was isolated by the whole class, so it was natural that no one wanted to tell her anything. Chaoge could have easily found out the news from other people's conversations, but she was the kind of person who wouldn't take anything to heart unless she was pulled into the conversation.
So much so that, without Yan Chen telling her, without her classmates telling her, and without Luo Qinghe knowing, she welcomed the Friday she had been looking forward to.
Everyone displayed unprecedented vigor, showcasing the results of a month of training on the final day. The light shining in the eyes of many was no less dazzling than the sun in the sky.
So after the final military training ceremony, Chaoge's enthusiasm was frozen into ice crystals by Little Red Riding Hood.
[The third task has been activated: Attend the court ball held at the Royal Palace tomorrow. Task reward: 300 points. Task difficulty: three stars. Failure will deduct 300 points, and the system will enter hibernation mode and will not be available again.] Little Red Riding Hood's voice was like a bolt from the blue, shattering her Saturday plans into nothingness.
Can someone tell her what a court ball is? She's never even heard of it!
"Didn't you hear anything these past two days?" Little Red Riding Hood remained silent for a while before finally speaking to remind her. She expected her to immediately understand, but Chaoge only looked even more confused.
[What did you hear? Aren't you all talking about where to go for the school's short weekend break? This is a holiday that you can only go out once a month!] Little Red Riding Hood had long understood that Chaoge's focus was different from everyone else's, but she was still stunned by her unreliability.
"...I was indeed too young." Little Red Riding Hood sighed deeply.
Since Chaoge was alone in her dormitory, Little Red Riding Hood didn't dump all the information into her head. Instead, she projected it onto a light blue, semi-transparent screen. Chaoge skimmed through it, her mind filled with only one thought: she didn't want to go.
If it weren't for the undeniable, inexplicable connection between Qin Muge and her, she would almost have wondered why they were the same person! The difference between people is still so vast!
For example, right now, it's not that she's too wicked to think Qin Muge is simple, but rather that General Qin himself is very... unpredictable in his actions.
[Little Red Riding Hood, it's wrong to threaten suicide all the time.] This was the fourth time Chaoge had received such a forced mission, and she was trying to find a roundabout way to achieve her goal.
"Well, that's why you need to replenish my energy quickly to avoid this situation." Little Red Riding Hood calmly shut her down.
The result, naturally, remained the same as always.
Chaoge fell into deep sorrow.
I feel like I've heard a future version of the Cinderella story, although her family certainly won't forbid her from attending the ball like Cinderella's stepmother did... Wait! Knowing Yan Chen and Yan Xi's usual behavior, will they really let her go?!
No wonder this mission is only three stars. In Little Red Riding Hood's style, even one-star missions are full of melodrama, but this three-star mission seems to be on par with the melodrama on a national scale.
Hehe, if this were five stars... that scene would be too beautiful for her to imagine.
When Luo Qinghe came to find her in the afternoon, this was the scene she saw: Chaoge was sitting on a small stool in front of the French doors connecting to the balcony, resting her chin on her hands and looking up at the blue sky outside.
The azure sky was reflected in her eyes, making her already beautiful deep brown eyes even more stunning, as if those eyes could attract all the brightness in the world.
"The door wasn't closed properly, it startled me!" Seeing Chaoge looking over, Luo Qinghe patted her chest, her expression showing a hint of reproach for her carelessness.
"Ah, you've come." Chaoge stuck out her tongue apologetically, turned around to look at her, and the light in her eyes seemed even brighter than when she looked at the sky, in Luo Qinghe's eyes.
This warmed her heart inexplicably. Her heart, which had been frozen by the coldness of the world and seemed to have lost all warmth, began to warm up little by little from the edges. Whenever she fell asleep to the sound of such a heartbeat, she would think, how wonderful it is that such a frail person, who seemed no different from her except for the background, was the only person in the world who gave her warmth.
Yes, the only one. The word was so beautiful that when she faced Yan Chaoge, she always subconsciously wanted to show her her best side, whether Yan Chaoge noticed or not. Her parents hadn't taught her how to maintain her sense of self when facing someone with a higher level of authority; it was this person who taught her, helping her rediscover her own value.
She wanted to stay by Chaoge's side. Ever since she learned that Chaoge wasn't well-liked at home, and ever since she discovered that Chaoge didn't seem to want to make any friends at school besides her, she felt that as long as Chaoge remained the same, she could catch up with her someday if she worked hard.
"What's wrong? Does something seem to be bothering you?" Even though Chaoge seemed happy to her, Luo Qinghe could tell at a glance what was bothering Chaoge, which was why she was looking at the sky.
"Hmm, I just heard that the palace is holding a court ball tomorrow, and I'm wondering how someone like me could possibly attend. Because I don't really want to go see my father, and I don't want to see Yan Xi's face, which I find repulsive." Chao Ge always speaks her mind to those she trusts.
Luo Qinghe's hand, which was at her side, suddenly twitched at the fingertips. She looked carefully into Chaoge's eyes, using her usual concerned tone and her usual somewhat cautious gaze, "A court ball?"
Chaoge herself didn't have much common sense about this world, so she assumed Luo Qinghe was unaware of the matter and immediately summarized the knowledge she had just learned from Little Red Riding Hood in a few words.
Luo Qinghe's eyes were originally as black as obsidian, and she couldn't tell any emotions from them. Upon hearing this, she asked her with some curiosity, "Is it... because of Min Ge?"
Chaoge then realized that she had never shown any knowledge of where Qin Muge was going, and because of the Min family's reputation, Luo Qinghe seemed to have misunderstood her purpose in wanting to go to the ball.
However, to some extent, it is indeed possible that I had to attend this ridiculous ball because of Qin*OSS.
Putting someone who can't even do basic calisthenics properly into a high-society ball is just too cruel!
The thought of all the endless problems plaguing her made Chaoge want to grab someone by the neck and yell, "Can't you just stop causing so much trouble?! Isn't it better to be a quiet general?!"
So, instead of shaking her head, she abruptly changed the direction of her head's movement and stiffly nodded. "Yes, it's all because of her."
There was a hint of resentment in his words.
Yes, she wasn't the only one moving forward; no one would stand still and wait for someone. Luo Qinghe casually put her hands behind her back, clenching her fists and then releasing them repeatedly.
"Then, you have to keep going." She gave an encouraging smile, her eyes crinkling with laughter, her long eyelashes blurring the disappointment in her eyes, only reflecting a few glimmers of starlight.
What's the point of adding fuel? Dancing talent isn't something you can develop overnight!
The reason Cinderella was later chosen by the prince was because she had enough to be coveted!
【Do I need to remind you that the ball held at the royal palace on the planet Tianzixing doesn't require everyone to bring a partner to dance?】 Little Red Riding Hood couldn't stand the constant roaring complaints that kept popping up in her mind, and she chimed in again, speechless.
...Is that so?
Little Red Riding Hood: In your human terms, I must have had the worst luck in eight lifetimes to have met you.
Chaoge was stunned by Little Red Riding Hood's shout in her heart. Finally, she kicked away a tiny bit of her troubles, really, only a tiny bit as small as a fingernail.
Seeing the joy on Chaoge's face, Luo Qinghe simply interpreted it as Chaoge being overjoyed that she could finally find an opportunity to visit Min Ge.
Luo Qinghe knew that Min Ge's identity was not simple. First, the surname Min meant that anyone from the Min family who could enter Yuandu Military Academy was bound to be powerful. Second, the fact that Min Ge could so easily avoid appearing in the school, unlike herself who was practically the lowest-ranking person in the entire school, showed that Min Ge had a powerful background.
Indeed, this level of effort is not enough to reach the point where we stand shoulder to shoulder.
"Well, it's not something you can achieve just by cheering, because I genuinely hate joining in on this kind of fun," Chaoge nodded in response.
Luo Qinghe smiled bitterly to herself. Of course I know you don't like these things. That's why I can see how far you're willing to go for your friends.
"If..." She finally listened to her heart and opened her mouth to ask the question. But when she met Chaoge's clear, deep brown eyes, she swallowed the rest of her words back into her heart.
If one day I need you to come to my side, will you come?
Chaoge looked puzzled, not understanding why she only said half of what she meant.
"No, I forgot what I was going to say." Luo Qinghe smiled shyly at her, her eyes curving like crescent moons.
Because Chaoge herself often gets caught up in her own mental battles with Little Red Riding Hood, she sometimes forgets where she was when talking to others. Hearing this, Chaoge nodded slightly in understanding.
Ahem, however, understanding Luo Qinghe doesn't mean understanding the general's idle behavior. He immediately connected to the channel and sent a short message with only one sentence: Please be a quiet and beautiful woman, okay?
☆ Chapter 23: The Twenty-Third Evaluation of General Qin
Originally, Chaoge planned to return home on Saturday to rack her brains about how to attend the court ball. After careful consideration, she decided it was best to make plans sooner rather than later.
With Little Red Riding Hood threatening to go into hibernation and never come back on, Chaoge dared not act on her intentions, even if she wanted to brush it off. If Little Red Riding Hood really went into hibernation, how would she ever get home!
Going home—a word that holds immense allure for her at this stage.
She found a spot near the school gate where a hovercar was parked and, as usual, borrowed the car to return to the Yan family home. Luo Qinghe had already told her that she was also going home for the weekend, so she could go to the dance without worry.
Sitting in the car, she chatted with Little Red Riding Hood out of boredom.
【Oh dear, just thinking about how I can go home once you've gathered enough energy makes me a little homesick. Speaking of which, I haven't even asked that great general if she misses home. I wonder if someone as powerful as her would also miss home.】 She looked out the car window, watching the various vehicles silently passing by on the road, the whole city exuding an air of prosperity.
【Perhaps.】Although Little Red Riding Hood was occasionally annoyed by Chaoge's unreliability, she still stayed by her side whenever she needed her.
The thought that returning to the Yan family home would not only fail to relieve her stress from the long military training but would instead bring even more unpleasant things made Chaoge want to lock herself in her room as soon as she stepped inside and never leave the living room again. Even a fool could tell that this was impossible.
No matter how unwilling she was, it wouldn't be long before she arrived at the Yan family's main residence, thanks to the silent, high-speed driving of the hovercar.
After getting out of the car, she walked to the gate, gave a faint smile, and looked towards the house. She didn't know if larger families were more like cages, but she felt the Yan family must be one such cage.
Although her most familiar relatives were there, the air was thick with a suffocating atmosphere.
Unexpectedly, yet predictably, she saw Yan Xi just as she was about to enter her room. Chao Ge kept an eye on Yan Xi's approaching movements, wondering whether to ignore her, or ignore her, or ignore her altogether.
As she ignored Yan Xi and entered the room, about to close the door behind her, Yan Xi firmly pressed down on the door, maintaining a certain distance, and looked her up and down a few times. Just as Chao Ge raised an eyebrow, about to speak, she let out a cold snort and turned to leave.